Sometimes I like to talk about the old days with my friend, attorney Geary Kull. Just the other day, he was showing me his home video of a velociraptor taking on a pterosaur. Geary tells me that the Cretaceous was one wild and crazy time!
Anyway, I was walking past his office the other day when I saw him doing something shocking. Could it really be? Here’s the video…
On Saturday we went to a chock-full-of-character Bridgeport bar named Bernice’s Tavern to hear some music by Wraygun, a Link Wray cover band that, on different occasions, turns into a Cramps cover band. Link Wray, of course, was one of the pioneers of the power chord in the late 50s and early 60s, especially in his big hit “Rumble.” “Rumble”, even though it’s an instrumental, was actually banned from some radio stations at the time because it might subvert the youth of America.
Larry (bass), Jack (drums), and a guitarist whose name I didn’t catch (although I do remember his fine Fender tube reverb unit), brought a smile to everyone’s face with a mix of Link Wray and vintage surf tunes. It’s always a good night when I hear “Pipeline.” In the second set, they added a guest saxophonist and guitarist, both of whom I enjoyed. Larry also sang a couple of songs.
The sound was excellent — just the actual sound of the amps and drums and a small vocal PA. To me, rock is meant to be heard in small clubs where you can hear the amps and drums themselves, not some muffled, over-amplified mix where the kick drum seems to be the lead instrument. Are you reading this, Metro?
The crowd at Bernice’s, which is quite eclectic and ranges in age from 20-somethings to people seemingly born in the 20s, had a great happy vibe. People were just plain having fun. It’s contagious. We met some friends there too, which added a lot. Mike, Bernice’s son, worked the crowd like a veritable ringmaster of libations.
Great job, guys! At least as far as I can remember….
You may recall an item a few days ago about the nasty winter in Menasha, Wisconsin. Brian, our JPN Wisconsin correspondent, has been kind enough to forward a few photos. The dog’s name is Mack. One word of advice — do something about those icicles, Brian!
Yeah, I know, it surprised me, too. And not only is he still alive, but he’s running for president again. Maybe he doesn’t understand that Jeb Bush isn’t running and that the Bushes can’t use his help any more.
Among my ‘96 Taurus wagon’s infirmities has been the driver’s-side rear door. Maybe it’s been a good thing that the door doesn’t open at all from the outside, since the lock doesn’t work. I’ve been having visions of friends trapped in the burning rear of the vehicle while I frantically yank at the useless handle.
To address this issue, I headed out Saturday to my favorite car-parts venue — Pick’N'Pull in Summit, Illinois. This is like a self-serve junkyard. They have hundreds of cars lying around, and it’s up to you to bring your tools and remove the parts yourself. Since most cars like mine have by now, shall we say, been retired, I’ve had good luck at this place. If you can find what you need, the savings are enormous.
I was initially only on a scouting mission, since I figured removing a car door would be a two-person job. I try to avoid crushing wounds whenever possible, although I don’t mind spilling a little blood on these projects. (And do, frequently.) However, I spotted the relatively fresh carcass of a ‘96 Sabre in a color pretty close to my car’s. The door in question seemed to be in reasonably good condition for its age. Also, it was nowhere near as dented as mine. I decided I had to try, even though I had stupidly left my photo of my car’s door on the kitchen table.
Dear readers, know now that there are quite a few hard-to-reach electrical connectors in the modern car door. It wasn’t easy to detach the cables without ruining them. Over the course of a few hours I persevered, and did manage to take the door off. Then came the difficult task of carrying it from the lot to my car. With the melt ongoing, I felt like I was slogging through the mud fields of Cambodia. After flattening a few vertebral discs to the approximate dimensions of a quarter, I gave in and found a wheelbarrow. Even that didn’t help so much, because it wanted to tip over every few feet.
Finally, though, I made the buy. The cost, including tax, totaled $51.00. Such a deal!
I’m still not done putting the new door on, but the early signs are good enough for rock and roll. It fits and closes. It’s sort of the same general color as the old one. The power window motor and lock work. We should know the ultimate fate of the project tomorrow.
Click on the thumbnails for larger images.
Except back when they could get away with it.
As a native of the the Cleveland area and long-time Chicago resident, I was naturally very interested in the trade involving both the Cavs and the Bulls. Overall, I think it helped both teams. Cleveland has long been desperate for people who can shoot the ball. Well, Wally Szcerbiak certainly fits the bill. Joe Smith is a better player right now than Drew Gooden, not that Drew didn’t have some good moments for the Cavs. Smith is a heady veteran who doesn’t make many mistakes and plays consistently and efficiently. Cavs fans will like him. If you look at John Hollinger’s APBRmetric analysis of NBA players, both of these guys are above average, unlike any of the players the Cavs traded.
The knock on Delonte West is his lack of speed. He’ll fit right in with the Cavs. I’ve never hear of Cedric Simmons.
Then, of course, there’s Ben Wallace. Overall, he’s more washed up than the rags at a car wash. If he condescends to actually try, he’ll give the Cavs a little interior toughness. On a given night, he can still grab some rebounds and play some D. On a bad night, he’s just stealing from his employer. I hope for the Cavs that the good night outnumber the bad.
The Cavs didn’t give up anyone essential. Gooden is an OK player. Shannon Brown may have a future, but he didn’t have any present with the Cavs. Larry Hughes is a whiner who didn’t fit in with the Cavs system and didn’t really seem to try. With the Bulls and a different style of play (a little more up-tempo), maybe he’ll do better. More than likely, some mysterious ailment will keep him on the bench most of the time, as usual.
The best aspect of the trade for the Bulls is that Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah will get more minutes on the court. Thomas has been a disappointment so far, but his athleticism is terrific. He may just need some playing time to get going. I already like Noah. His intensity is excellent and he snags every ball in range. All he needs to do is learn to shoot better. He’s already improving. I see him as a 15-point, 10-rebound guy with a lot of good intangibles and shot-altering ability.
Most of the trades in the NBA left me shaking my head for one side or the other. The Lakers stole Pau Gasol. The Mavericks gave up way too much for Jason Kidd, who won’t be able to compete with any of the good point guards in the western conference. He’s always been way overrated — about the worst shooter I’ve ever seen with a lengthy career. Look for the Lakers to possibly go everywhere and the Mavs to go nowhere.
Go Cavs! Later, Bulls.
About the most popular game out there right now is Guitar Hero (versions I, II, III, and maybe more I haven’t heard about). In Guitar Hero, you play a vaguely guitar-shaped peripheral along with actual music. It’s sort of air guitar for the imaginatively challenged.
Members of The Least Generation spend hours and hours pressing little buttons and such to follow along in the game. After all those hours, they come away not with any ability to play the guitar, but with the absolutely useless ability to press buttons in a certain way. Why not buy a cheap guitar and spend that time actually learning how to play? Or why not have a guitar game that teaches real guitar in the course of game play?
Maybe they should make a guitar that you play only with your thumbs. Then we’d have a generation of virtuosos.
Yes, this has been a brutal winter here in Chicago. Nonetheless, it could be worse — and is worse for JPN correspondent Brian of Menasha, Wisconsin. (Menasha is here.)
Last night, it went down to around fifteen below zero in Menasha. To make matters worse, there’s been a lot of snow that hasn’t melted all winter, creating head-high accumulations around people’s driveways. People are becoming stuck and trapped in their own driveways. Food is running desperately short. (All right, I made that last part up.)
I am awaiting a photo of this situation from my correspondent. Don’t let me down, Brian!
